Dental instrument



061;. 13, 1936. p Z|MMER 2,057,077

DENTAL INSTRUMENT Filed May 16, 1935 I N VEN 7oz Refer N Z/PrImer.

7'7'OPNEY patented Oct. 13, 193

UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE;

DENTAL INSTRUMENT 7 Peter N. Z'immer, St. Louis, Mo. Application May 16, 1935, Serial No. 21,722 4Claims. (Clea-'68) This invention relates to a certain new and useful improvement'in dental instruments, and has for its chief object the provision of an instrument or tool for efiiciently facilitating the precise and i-5 accurate formation and construction of dentures and the like.

And with the above and other objects in view,

1 my invention resides in the novel features of form, I, construction, arrangement, and combination of 110 parts presently described and pointed out in the laim- In the accompanying drawing,- liigure l is a plan view of a tool or instrument ernb odying my invention, illustrated as in grip- ;16 ping engagement with a tooth for manipulation thereof the particular dental work in process, such, for instai ge, as the formation of a denture; figure; frpgrnentally similarly illustrates the {tool in enlarged side elevation; and

figures 3 and {1 are, respectively, fragmental side eievational an plan i w of the instrument or tool with its m vable 9r .Shiftable J tracted for toothgripping-engagement.

Referring now more detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, the irrstrument or tool includes a rigid preferably metallic shank A, and having threaded or other suitable connection with the shank A, is a suitable tool manipulating handle B, the shank A being of suitable length and for the most part, for purposes presently appearing, of rectangular or other out-of-round contour in section.

Preferably integral with the shank A, is a head C, which is generally of rectangular shape or form, although, for appearance, its upper and under faces are respectively of a concaved surface lcontour, while its opposite side faces are of a convexed surface contour, substantially as shown. Preferably integral with and forming part of head C, is a fixed or stationary forwardly projecting upper jaw D, which terminates at its forward end in divergent prongs or claws I, I, the under face of jaw D and its claws I, I, being of arcuate or rounded formation and the claws I, I, being divergingly spaced for conforming substantially to, and for opposingly gripping, the labial face of a false-tooth T, as best seen in Figure 2. Also preferably integral with and forming part of head C, is a second fixed stationary lower jaw E, which is of reduced length relatively to upper jaw D, and which projects forwardly from head C in somewhat divergent relation to the jaw D in the formation therewith of an approximate vbest seen in Figure 2.

F designates a member approximately of U- 5 shape in side elevation, as seen in Figures 2 and 3, whose bight-portion 3 fits for slidable movement on the shank A, and is enlarged, as at 3a, for providing a convenient manipulating finger-grip preferably suitably roughened upon opposite 10 faces, I as shown. The shank-accommodating aperture of bight 3 conforms to the out-of-round or other sectional or structural form of shank A, and hence member F is retained from rotative movement while freely slidably shiftable on the 15 shank A and relatively to the fixed or stationary jaws D, E, the one or under leg or fork 4 of member F being disposed forwardly under the reduced stationary jaw E and forming the movable jaw of the instrument, and the upper leg or fork 5 being disposed forwardly over, and having a bearing for slidable movement on, the stationary j aw D.

Normally, as shown in Figure 3, the member F is so relatively proportioned that the tip of the movable jaw or fork 5 is disposed somewhat rearwardly of the tip of the stationary jaw E when the member F is in rearwardly retracted position on shank A, when the instrument is open, as it may be said, for engagement with the tooth T, and in such engagement the instrument is fitted at its pocket or seat 2 upon the incisal portion and the jaw D and its projecting prongs I on the labial face of the tooth. The member F is then shifted forwardly and its movable jaw 4 engaged with and upon the lingual face of the tooth, the jaw 4 being preferably of suitable spring-steel for yielding in such engagement and for accommodating teeth of different size or thickness.

With the jaws so engaged with the tooth, the tooth is firmly gripped and held by the instrument and may be readily manipulated in the formation and construction of precise and accurate dentures, such as G, as illustrated in Figure 1, retraction of member F releasing the instrument for disengagement from the manipulated tooth.

The instrument has been found exceedingly efilcient in the performance of its intended uses, and it is to be understood that changes or modi- 50 fications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the instrument may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention. 55

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. A dental-instrument comprising a head, a shank projecting from one side of the head, a pair of upper and lower stationary jaws projecting from the opposite side of the head and providing an intermediate pocket for seating the incisal portion of a tooth, projecting claws on the upper jaw for grippingly engaging the labial face of the seated tooth, and a substantially U- shaped member disposed at its bight for shiftable movement on the shank and including a first legportion having a bearing for sliding movement on the upper jaw and a second leg-portion providing a jaw for gripping the seated tooth on its lingual face.

2. A dental-instrument shank projecting from one side of the head, a pair of upper and lower stationary jaws projecting from the opposite side of the head and providing an intermediate pocket for .seating @the incisal portion of a tooth, projecting claws on the upper jaw for grippingly engaging the labial face of the seated tooth, and a substantially U-shaped member disposed at its bight for shiftable non-rotative movement on the shank and including a first leg-portion having a bearing for sliding movement on the upper jaw and a second legvportion providing a spring-jaw for yieldingly gripping the seated tooth on its lingual face.

comprising a head, a

3. A dental-instrument comprising a handgrip, a rigid head projecting from, and operatively disposed in fixed relation to, the grip, the head having upper and lower forwardly projecting stationary jaws providing an intermediate pocket on its front face for seating the incisal portion of a tooth, rigid clawsprojecting forwardly from, and disposed in fixed permanent relation to, the upper stationary jaw for grippingly engaging the labial face of the seated tooth, and a second jaw shiftable longitudinally of the head and. claws and under the lower stationary jaw for projecting its tip forwardly of the head for opposingly grippingly engaging the lingual face of the seated tooth.

4. A dental-instrument comprising a handgrip, a rigid head, a shank projecting from the rear face of the head and rigidly engaged with the grip, a pair of upper and lower stationary projecting forwardly from the head and jaws providing an intermediate pocket in the front face of the head for seating the incisal portion of a tooth, rigid claws projecting forwardly from, and disposedin fixed permanent relation to, the upper jaw for grippingly engaging the labial face of the seated tooth, and a member havinga portion disposed for shiftable movement on and relatively to the shank and including a forwardly projecting jaw for opposingly grippingly engaging the lingual face of the seated tooth.

PETER N. ZIMMER. 

